HUGE HOUSE HATES: Chapter 13

The saying goes that quiet comes before a storm. In the case of the Carlton household, it seems to follow one.

Last night was a raging blizzard of emotion, and today, everything is tranquil.

It’s the weekend, and after sleeping in, I descend the stairs to find Tobias and River eating a huge plate of eggs and bacon across from Cora, who’s eating pancakes. She’s still dressed in pajamas with adorably tousled hair and a face free from makeup. Her skin is like peaches and cream, with a light dusting of freckles across her nose, like stars in a midnight sky.

She’s laughing at Tobias’s recounting of the time River got lost in the airport only to be found in the women’s restroom. He was five at the time.

“Morning,” I say, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice but failing.

“Morning.” Cora’s voice is soft and tentative, as though she’s comfortable in the presence of Tobias and River but not quite sure about how the rest of us are going to react.

Last night was difficult. Cora allowed Tobias to comfort her, but the rest of us had retreated, giving her some space. He’d said what I’d wanted to say. He’d done what I’d wanted to do. And she didn’t need the five of us crowding her when she was at her most vulnerable. For whatever reason, she’d chosen Tobias to confide in. Maybe he was just there at the right time. Maybe it was something more. Who knows?

I’m just glad that last night broke the standoff between us. Even Danny has seen that it’s necessary to broker a truce. Our home needs to return to a place of peace for all our sakes, especially Cora’s. Just the thought of what happened to her has me raging. Alden is devastated to have been so oblivious to what Kyle is really like. He’s vowed to do something but needs time to work out what. If Cora’s not prepared to pursue him through the courts, then there must be another way to make him pay.

I grab fruits and vegetables from the refrigerator to make a high-protein smoothie. My plan to hit the gym now feels uncertain. This fragile peace feels tenuous, and I don’t want to miss out on the chance to contribute to supporting it.

“Cora’s been telling us about her business,” River says. “She makes ceramics.”

“Cool,” I say. “Like vases?”

“Yes,” she says. “And dinner sets, tea sets, plant pots. Pretty much everything you see around the house is made in a kiln.”

“She needs to do her taxes for the first year,” River says, nodding in my direction as though he’s trying to communicate something unsaid.

“Really,” I say. “Well, I can help you with that.”

“Mark’s the geek of the family,” Tobias says with an affectionate grin.

“No one complains when it comes to needing my help, though, do they?”

“Exactly,” River says.

“You’d do that?” Cora asks, the surprise evident in her voice.

“Sure. Why not?” I flick the blender on, watching all the bright colors merge with the protein powder and almond milk. “I was going to hit the gym, but maybe after. You could come with me if you like. I have a guest pass.”

As Cora shovels in another mouthful of pancake, she looks first at my breakfast and then at hers. I guess the gym isn’t a place she frequently visits, not that it shows in her body. The girl has sweet curves for days. “Actually, that would be great. I think I need an outlet today.”

I need an outlet too. An outlet for the rage I felt last night, and the urge I felt toward Cora. When Tobias embraced her, I wanted it to be me. I wanted to wipe away her tears and tell her everything will be alright. I wanted her to know that I’m someone she can rely on. Instead, I had to watch my brother take on that role.

And anyway, she doesn’t need us hovering around her with sex on our minds. She needs people who’ll support her. At the very least, we need to not make things worse.

“Don’t get drawn into competing with him,” Tobias warns Cora. “He’s ridiculously competitive about his gym routine. The dude could do triathlons if he ever got his head out of work.”

“You wait until you graduate,” I say. “There’s no time for hobbies. It’s all just grind.”

“Tell me about it,” Cora says. “Sometimes I dream about going back to the days when all I had to worry about was showing up to cheer training on time and finishing assignments.”

“Did you used to wear those little outfits?” River asks, seemingly forgetting what happened last night. I brace for Cora to rail at him for being sexist, but she just rolls her eyes.

“Seriously, dude,” she says, stuffing the last of her pancake into her mouth and chewing messily. “It’s about the routines, not the outfits.”

“That’s not what the girls say about our tight pants,” he laughs.

Cora cocks an eyebrow. “I think I’d have to see that to judge either way.”

“Either way, what?” Tobias asks.

“Whether the tight pants are anything worth writing home about.”

We all laugh, mainly because we’re brothers, and we know there’s a lot to write home about. Let’s just say the Carlton men have been blessed with good genes in all the departments that count.

“We have a game tomorrow,” River says. “Maybe you should come to check it out.”

“Maybe she should stay home and avoid checking it out,” I say, licking cool smoothie from my top lip.

“Sounds like you’re jealous, man,” River says, cocking a dark and knowing brow, but I return a withering look because seriously, doesn’t he realize how inappropriate all of this sounds?

“I’ll be ready to leave in around ten minutes,” I tell Cora. “Meet you by the front door?”

“Sure.” She slides from the high stool and rests her plate by the sink. “See you,” she calls to River and Tobias, who nod and smile broadly as she leaves the kitchen.

As I shake my head, they both say ‘What?’ at the same time, shrugging their shoulders with matching denial. I roll my eyes. “I’ve got whiplash from the change in relations in this house.”

“Hey, don’t knock it.” Tobias forks the last of his egg and picks up his cup of coffee to wash it down. “I hated seeing Cora upset last night, but she seems better today, and that’s all that matters. If we’ve reached a state of peacefulness, then I’m all for trying to maintain it.”

“Me too,” I say. “But just make sure you’re not pushing too much in the other direction.”

“And what direction would that be?” River asks, pausing with a large forkful as he eyes me with interest.

“The direction that involves hinting at the impressive size of your junk. That girl has had enough douchebags in her life. She doesn’t need more.”

“She was laughing,” River says, popping the food into his mouth.

“She was being polite.” I rinse out my glass, leaving it for Mrs. Henderson. The scent of eggs and bacon in the kitchen makes me hungry, but I want to work out before indulging in proper food.

“I’ll take polite over fish in my closet any day,” Tobias says. “Anyway, we’re not the ones inviting Cora to come and get sweaty with us.”

“It’s the gym,” I protest.

“And the gym is never a place where people hook up.”

“I’m not hooking up with anyone,” I say, even though internally, I acknowledge that what they’re saying is true.

“If you’re not looking at Cora and thinking she’s hot, you’re dead inside.” River puts his hands behind his head and arches his spine, making audible cracking sounds as he stretches.

“Jesus.” I shake my head. “It sounds like you need to train.”

“Coach trained us too hard,” Tobias moans. “We’re both walking around like old men today.”

“Well, I’ll see you later.” As I head toward the kitchen door, I stop and turn. “Can you tell Danny and Alden that I took Cora to the gym? I just want to make sure that everyone is clear on what’s happening. This feels…”

“Volatile?” Tobias says.

“Exactly.”

Cora dresses in hot pink workout leggings and a yellow retro tee. With her hair scraped into a messy bun and a water bottle in her hand, she looks like perfection wrapped up in a kaleidoscopic bow, and I can’t take my eyes off her.

“We’ll take my car,” I say, grabbing the keys and biting my lip to regain some control. There is no way this girl will be able to work out next to me without me having a heart attack.

She slides into the passenger side, looking around the sleek interior. As Cora’s the first woman to ride next to me in over three months, I’m glad I haven’t let standards slip. It still has the new-car smell, courtesy of the air freshener, and she trails her fingers over the chrome and leather finish.

“Nice ride,” she says. “Is this what all accountants drive?”

“This is the only one in the parking lot at my office,” I say. “So maybe not.”

“Maybe you’re the only accountant in your firm with taste.” Reaching across herself, she tugs the belt and secures it into place.

“Maybe,” I smile.

As I pull out of the driveway, she makes a soft humming sound. “You’re a neat freak.”

I smile at her astute observation and how her knee is jiggling up and down in her flamboyant leggings. “What makes you say that?”

“Your car looks like it’s just rolled off the production line, your fingernails are better manicured than mine, your haircut is fresh, and don’t forget, I’ve seen your closet.”

“You’re keeping track of a lot of details about me.”

Cora snorts, gripping the edge of her seat as I drive the car a little too fast. “And you haven’t gathered your own details about me?”

She’s got me there. “I haven’t been in your closet or your car.”

“But you still think you have me sized up.”

“Oh, I would never make such an assumption,” I say. “Especially about someone who dresses so eccentrically for the gym.”

Through the corner of my eye, I see her eyebrows raise and a flicker of a smile on her lips. “Even boring things can be more interesting with color, Mark.”

The sound of my name on her tongue feels intimate in a way that startles me. I want to know more about this girl, and I want her to know more about me. I want her to fit into our home and feel happy about being there. I want to try and make up for some of the shitty ways my father acted, even though his sins aren’t my responsibility.

I ask her about her business and find out so much about the person she is that I’m already smitten by the time we reach the gym. She is a riotous color where I’m monochrome. She’s creative where I’m logical. She’s impetuous where I’m controlled.

“Opposites attract” might be a cliché, but in our case, it’s true, at least on my side. Cora smiles and laughs a lot, but I have no idea if that’s for my benefit or if she’s like that with everyone she meets.

At the gym, we work out together. She can’t quite match me, but she does a damn good job of trying. By the end, we’re both sweaty and amped up, and it’s all I can do to keep my gaze away from the sliver of skin bared where she’s knotted her shirt underneath her breasts. I should be thankful that she’s not wearing one of those workout bras because I’d be a goner.

On the way home, we talk about taxes, which is a subject I usually avoid, but Cora is grateful for my help. After we shower, she finds me in the den, clutching a bundle of files to her chest. This time she’s dressed in black leggings and a red shirt that hangs off her shoulder. Beneath is a scarlet bra that makes my mouth water.

“You seriously don’t mind helping me?” she says, biting her lip.

I want to tell her that I’d do anything she asked if she just sat next to me dressed like that, wearing that sweet perfume, but I don’t. “Sure. Let’s take a look,” is what I say instead.

So that’s what we do for the next couple of hours until she looks less confused, and I’ve exercised my math brain way more than I would usually do on a Saturday.

When the rest of my brothers appear, Danny decides it’s a good day to grill. We cook meat and drink beer for the rest of the day, while Cora fixes a salad and insists that we get at least some of our five fruits and vegetables to offset the meat sweats.

It’s fun and lighthearted, and her presence brings a totally different vibe to the house.

After watching her laughing with Alden about a project he’s working on, I realize what it is. Femininity. It’s something that’s been lacking in our home since Mom died, and something it seems I really missed.

And I don’t think I’m alone.

As I watch my brothers talking with Cora, I notice something that sends a prickle of unease through me.

I can tell they all like her.

But there are five of us and only one of her.

For now, the Carlton house is in a state of peace, but for how long with these uneven dynamics in place?